


Getting To Know The Other

by ShunKickShunKers



Series: Of Hills and Hunts [2]
Category: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ethan's a good parent, Family, Kidnapping, Maria's too curious for her own good, Mention of Child Abuse, Or at least he tries to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-04-10
Packaged: 2018-01-16 17:45:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1356280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShunKickShunKers/pseuds/ShunKickShunKers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan's twin sister Emily was seventeen when she eloped with William Hill. Two years later, she passed away. He hadn’t known she had died in childbirth, hadn't known her daughter had survived. So when the social workers had called to announce the existence of his niece, he suddenly had to learn to deal with a ten year old kid with steel blue eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little fic on how Ethan and Maria survived living together. Might be two or three chapters long, I'm not sure yet. Hope you enjoy :)  
> Unbeta-ed work, so all mistakes are mine ^^"

  **Part 1**

 

The police station was particularly busy today. Phones rang from every desk, the few cops remaining were running in and out. A massive breakout in a particularly nasty murder case had occurred, or at least, so did the receptionist –a black woman wearing a ‘Maggie’ nametag –said, but Ethan Hunt wasn’t here for work; he was present in reply to the unusual call from social workers.

“So, how can I help you?” Maggie asked once she was done delivering the thrilling news.

“My name’s Ethan Hunt, I’m here to pick up someone. A kid, Maria Hill. She must have arrived earlier this morning.”

The woman peeked up in interest.

“ID first sir.” He pulled out his driver’s license. She checked it carefully and asked: “You’re family? There’s a resemblance.”

Ethan’s heart missed a beat at her words but kept his face straight.

“Uncle.”

“I see. She’s in the third room on the left, down that hallway.” Maggie sad, pointing in the right direction. “Take care of that poor girl, she’ll need attention.”

The IMF agent didn’t reply. He took back his driver’s license, walked down the corridor and paused in front of the door. His hand lingered over the doorknob and much to his surprise, he realized he was shaking. Ethan closed his eyes and swallowed. He shouldn’t be scared; Maria Hill was just a kid, his twin sister’s kid.  He just had no idea how to react to her. Screw it, he decided. He had faced evil masterminds; he could face a ten-year old girl. With a new founded determination, he opened the door.

The room was empty, safe for a table on which a plate of pastries rested untouched. Maria Hill herself was sitting in the shadows, her face hidden in her knees, arms wrapped around her folded legs. She looked small and vulnerable; he thought immediately, with skinny arms, brown short hair, dressed with a pair of jeans, green Tee and black sneakers. The man stood there, suddenly at loss of words. He cleared his throat and eventually said a quiet:

“Hey.”

The ten year old raised her head and Ethan met the cool steel blue eyes of his niece for the first time.

Emily Hunt was seventeen when she eloped with William Hill. Ethan still remembered the day he had come home to find his mother in tears and his father angrier than he had ever seen. He himself had felt so betrayed he hadn’t tried to contact her. The next time he had seen her was two years later, laying in her casket, ready to be buried. And he had face then the unbearable guilt of not trying to reach out earlier. Back then he hadn’t known she had died in childbirth, hadn’t known her daughter had survived. So when the social workers had called two days ago, he hadn’t even believed them at first. It hadn’t been until he had seen the pictures, recognized Emily’s soft features and her ass of a father’s eyes that he realized how much he had screwed up. Memories of his childhood had resurfaced and he had spent the night sorting through old albums he hadn’t opened in years. That night, he had also decided he would make up with his past mistakes by taking his niece in. He owed Emily that much.

But as he scanned the girl, resemblances to his sister started to fade away. The face and hair were similar, but Emily’s eyes had been light and dreamy and hopeful. This girl’s eyes were sharp and bitter, alike the ones people who had faced difficult moments and would be shaped by those.

Ethan shut the door behind and stepped closer. Maria didn’t flinched or shy away. Instead, her expression faded into perfect blankness. He crouched next to her, careful to remain at eye level and never break the connection.

“My name’s Ethan Hunt” he spoke softly, careful not to startle her. One wrong word, one wrong move and the girl would close off readily. “I’ll be taking care of you from now on.”

She didn’t make a move to acknowledge his words and the constant staring was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. No child should have that expression –or lack of expression- on their face.

“Is that all right with you?”

When Maria frowned, he nearly sighed in relief; so she was capable of showing emotions.

“Do I have a choice?” she asked in response. The rhetorical question gave Ethan a half-smile.

“I’m afraid not.” He slowly rose and waited for her to follow his lead. “Where’s your stuff?”

“In that bag.” She replied dryly, nodding towards an old worn-out backpack, and stood up in turn. She was taller than he expected. Thinner that he’d liked too. “The lady from social services said you were my uncle.”

Ethan swallowed heavily, thoughts of Emily threatening to show up the surface.

“I am.” His voice wasn’t trembling, thankfully. “I’m your mom’s brother.”

Her only response was another frown.

“Father never told me I had an uncle.” She stated calmly. Ethan felt another wave of anger rise within him, this time towards William. How dare that man keep Emily’s daughter away from them? Did he think keeping her existence a secret from his wife’s family was a petty revenge on them? Whatever he had in mind, Ethan was glad the guy was dead or he would have killed him with his bare hands.

“I didn’t know I had a niece until yesterday” he said in reply, hoping she’d understand what he meant; he never came to visit not because he didn’t care about her, but because he just didn’t _know_.

Maria kept quiet after that. The ride back home was made in complete silence, when Ethan showed his house –her new home- she nodded from time to his words and spoke monosyllabic words to answer his occasional questions. Ethan didn’t try to push her to talk; after all, the poor kid had just been pulled out of years of abusing after witnessing her own father committing suicide. He couldn’t imagine what her childhood had been like and figured the next few months would be tough and filled with missteps and mistakes. He wasn’t quite wrong.

Half a year had gone by after he brought her in, he still hadn’t managed to crack her walls. Maria was a reserved girl who’d rather hide in her bedroom rather than stand in the same room with him. Ethan respected her privacy at first, feeling she needed the distance and time for adaptation –the glare mixed with fear she shot him every time he tried to change their routine did help him back off too. Still, it stung and vexed him that he couldn’t have a normal conversation with her without her backing off. He didn’t recall Emily being so difficult opening up.

One evening, he came home finding Maria standing in the hallway. Her eyes determined and fists clenched over a worn out notebook.

“We need to talk.” She said the moment he closed the door.

“About what?” he asked.

“My father.”

Ethan frowned but complied and followed her to the living room. She sat on the one-seat couch and waited for him to imitate her. Once he was comfortable, she blurted:

“I had time to think.” she said quietly, her eyes lowering on the carpet. “And I need you to answer a question or two.”

The IMF agent nodded and waited. He wondered what she had in mind and what had conducted the girl to seek him out.

“I’m listening.”

Maria took a deep breath and stared at him straight in the eyes. She reminded him of that rookie he had just started training; pausing before starting an interrogation.

“You said you never visited. Why?”

Ethan frowned; he thought he had made himself clear the first time.

“I told you, I didn’t know you…”

“Yeah I got that part.” She cut him impatiently. “What I mean is why have you never visited _him_? Even to put things straight. I suppose you were angry that he eloped with mother. But neighbors always said they were happy and he always took good care of her. I just wonder. Why?”

The question stung a little but Ethan figured that since she had asked him out honestly, she deserved an honest answer.

“I guess I was angry at him too. He stole my sister from me. I couldn’t forgive him.”

“That’s selfish a bit.” She commented offhandedly, eyes narrowed in displeasure. “Father was angry and sad too.” She held out the worn-out notebook to him. “That was their diary. Mother and father wrote to each other because they didn’t have much time together. It doesn’t excuse what he did” she added quietly. “But I think I understand him better. You should read it too.”

Ethan reluctantly took the notebook and checked the first pages. True enough, he recognized Emily’s messy handwriting, and another neater one –William’s.

“Where did you get this?” he asked, staring at her contemplatively.

Maria shrugged and jumped off her seat. She spoke quietly before leaving the room:

“Father’s jacket pocket. He wasn’t always that bad, just very sad.”

Later that week, Ethan made a detour to visit William and Emily Hunt’s grave. He hadn’t gone there in years, too bitter and guilty to visit –and actually afraid he’d meet his brother in law by accident. He wouldn’t apologize for not attempting to fix their relationship –they were both dead now, they couldn’t care less –but he did bring flowers and promised to come back more often, with Maria next time.

 

 

* * *

 

 

In the long term, Ethan learned a lot about Maria.

The first thing was that she had inherited the Hunt stubborn side. Also, her father might have beaten her up quite a few times, if the scars on her body were any indication, but he hadn’t managed to turn her into a subbed and docile child. If anything, Ethan would have sworn that Maria had become even more obstinate thanks to it. Those traits of character slowly emerged as she grew accustomed to him. She became a bossy little thing that reminded him of his former supervisor he used to nickname the ‘drill-sergeant’.

Ethan had perhaps not managed to make her open up to him entirely, but he sure as hell had revised his bachelor habits. The girl wouldn’t leave him laze when the house was dirty and stare at him with the uttermost striking ‘ _I Am So Disappointed in You_ ’ Look until he cleaned up to his own bedroom.

The second thing was that she was the most direct person he’d ever met.  Whenever Maria wanted an answer to her questions, she went straight for it, no matter what subjects might be concerned. They were watching a mindless TV show after a long day, when Maria decided to blurt out of the blue:

“Why are you still celibate?”

Ethan _had_ to turn around and gave her with his best _WTF???_ expression. She had never been too interested in his love life before and he hadn’t expected her to be one day. When he didn’t answer right away, still caught off guard, Maria added:

“I mean, you’re a good-looking guy, you’re in good shape, you’re not too old and you’re not a douche.” She narrowed her eyes. “Unless you have a lost love, or I am the reason or an excuse for you. But just for your information” she added with a wink. “I know Miss Nuria Campbell from three doors down wouldn’t mind you pay her a visit. She’s been intending to invite you for a special desert for a while.”

Ethan actually chocked on his drink. One, he’d have to teach her to work on subtlety. Two, he wouldn’t be able to face Nuria for a while. Three, was an eleven year old even supposed to speak like this?

“Why is it any interest to you?” he replied dryly with a sharp glare. She smirked, and it reminded Ethan of Emily when she prided in his life with that mischievous glint in her eyes.

“I’m curious” she said, and her innocent tone fooled no-one.

His cell phone suddenly rang. Maria looked disappointed and left the room. At least, no matter how nosy she could be, she gave him his privacy. He appreciated that trait even more since the call came from his IMF buddy, telling him a new mission was coming up and he’d have to suit up sooner or later, because his boss was getting annoyed at the amount of stationary months he had taken instead of busying himself with long-time field missions. Ethan knew his time was up and he’d have to start leaving Maria for extended periods. The girl hadn’t been _too_ intrusive in his personal life so far, hadn’t questioned his job or extra activities –although when she have, she hadn’t pushed if he deflected. But given how comfortable she was getting in his house and with him; Ethan knew that day would soon come. So he tackled the subject that very evening, during dinner.

“I’ll be leaving on a business trip tomorrow.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. Or at least he supposed she did; he was too busy eating his pasta to face her in the eye. How pathetic of a spy and secret agent, he thought. Maria did inherit the Hunt interrogative ‘ _Tell Me Everything You Know or I’ll Bust Your Balls_ ’ Look too after all. He wasn't ashamed to admit it intimidated the hell out of him though; that look was impressive on an eleven year old. 

“How long?”

“A week, probably two. It could stretch to longer though.”

This time, Ethan glanced at her. Maria didn’t appear annoyed or startled or even surprised. Instead, she looked deep in thoughts.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m…not sure yet. My boss will tell me tomorrow.” She hummed quietly and Ethan felt obligated to add: “I’m sorry. I use to be a very mobile…employee.”

“And I’m keeping you grounded.” She added in understanding. “Sorry ‘bout that.” She finished her bit of pasta and asked: “That means you’ll be moving a lot more then?”

“Probably. I’ll come back as much as I can though.”

“It’s fine. I’m a big girl, I’ll manage.” Maria stared at him pensively. “But why would it be a problem for your boss, you being stationed at one site? I mean, you said you were a consultant or something in accounting. Surely accountants go on a few days business trip, but not long or frequently.” She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “Are you really _just_ an accounting consultant?”

Ethan raised a warning eyebrow at her.

“It happens that I am the best at what I _do_ , and that’s the reason why I travel a lot. Now will you finish dinner so we can catch tonight’s movie?”

Maria got the hint and returned to her meal promptly. She never asked him again and Ethan figured she had put the subject behind. It wasn’t until later that he realized the precautions he had taken, the covers he had created had been a complete waste of time.

Because the last thing he learned about Maria was that if she didn’t push a question, it meant she had most likely found the answer. Unfortunately, he came to realize it the hard way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out way longer than I though. So I figured I'd write a third. This one's skipping a bit in time, but I hope you'll enjoy it. Also, unbeta-ed, so all mistkes are mine ^^

**Getting To Know the Other**

**Part 2**

 

 

The call came sometime after lunch. Maria was out with some friends this afternoon to celebrate her sixteenth birthday, so Ethan was taking advantage of the office set in his apartment. A fellow IMF agent had come to work on some files with him and debrief on his last mission. Two o’clock stroke as his phone rang. Maria’s number showed and he picked up without second thoughts. Since he was often gone on missions, sometimes for long stretches of time, Ethan gave her a lot of freedom. His niece had proven herself reliable and mature enough to manage on her own, so he didn't try to give her strict house rules and trusted her, even when he was back in town. The call was probably just a warning that he wouldn’t need to wait for her this evening.

He certainly not expected the hushed tone with which she greeted him.

_“I think some guy you’ve been looking for is taking a coffee at the Starbucks on Washington Avenue.”_

Ethan blinked twice.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I get…”

_“That guy, you know, Antoine Mason or something. Number 75 in the Bad Guy file? I’m talking about the file on your laptop. The one you hide in the back panel of your safe behind the shitty abstract painting you bought at auction last year.”_

Antony Mason. Drug dealer, child abductor and part of a prostitution ring. A real threat he knew IMF had been trying to arrest for a while. But how did Maria…

“…Maria! Those…those are… _What the hell?!?!_ How do you even _know_ -”

_“Yeah well choose a better password that "Assassin’s Creed" next time._ _And tell your colleagues not to bring their badge when they’re at our place.”_

Damn, Ethan thought. Harrison and Davis were _so_ going to hear from him. And since when did Maria did people’s pockets when they had guests?

“You and I need to talk when you get home.” He grumbled eventually. Maria didn’t answer but her breathing accelerated slightly.

_“Shit”_ she hissed. _“I think he’s spotted me. Hanging up now. Remember, Washington Avenue, Starbucks. Bring your friends, he’s got some goons.”_

Ethan cursed, hung up in turn and prayed every deity known that nothing happened to his stupid niece. He had already called in reinforcements and sent people on the location and was about to join them when her number appeared on screen again. This time, he didn’t waste time with pleasantries.

“Maria I swear to God –“

_“Agent Hunt, we have your daughter.”_ The unknown voice made him freeze on spot. He couldn’t distinguish whether it was male or female, but one thing was certain, this was not Maria’s voice. And how did they know who he was? Had they been targeting Maria from the start? _“You have three hours to retrieve the information concerning Marshal Pelgrin, load them on a digital key and drop it at 331b Georges Street. If you do, your daughter will be returned to you without harm.”_

Screw them, he thought.

“Let me talk to her first.”

_“Three hours. Proof of her being alive has been sent to you cell phone.”_

The conversation was cut and he received a text with a picture attached. On the picture was Maria wearing today’s clothes, pinned against the wall by two masked men, glaring sharply at the one taking the picture. His heartbeat increased by the minute; this was happening. This was really happening. People had targeted Maria, taken her away and…and she knew who he was, she knew the work he did, she knew what kind of people he was after, she had read his classified files for goddamn’s sake! Ethan figured that she wouldn’t mention that little detail to her captors, but who knew how much she had learned, how much she could give them without needing him to offer date. If he knew his niece well enough –and after six years of cohabitation, he figured he knew her well enough –Maria must have find out a _lot_. But _how the fuck_ she had found and decrypted them was beyond him, but that would be a discussion they’d have when she was back safe and sound.

He _would_ bring her back safe and sound. The alternative was not acceptable.

 

* * *

Two hours and forty minutes had gone by since the phone call and Ethan was waiting in his car, two roads down 331b Georges Street with the data in hand. He had updated headquarters on the situation, had disobeyed their expected order to hold back and had gone to the rendezvous point.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply to calm down. From the start, Ethan had known this situation might arise. It wasn’t unheard of, kidnappings among IMF agents’ families for information. He was one of the bests; it shouldn’t have surprised him that they’d use someone as leverage against him sooner or later.

Still, as he contemplated the situation, he felt slightly hopeful. Whoever had captured Maria wasn’t quite organized and careful, they didn’t know everything. They hadn’t called her his niece but his _daughter_.

In some way, Ethan thought they weren’t quite wrong. She might have been Emily’s daughter, but she had the spunk and stubbornness that _he_ had growing up, the same urge to kick asses, to never back down, never give up. _He_ had taken her to his firing ranch, had taught her the basics of self-defense, sparred with her at times. _He_ had taught and encouraged her to trust her instincts, to follow her guts rather than rationality, that textbooks and rules were a line to respect but that they could be broken in case of necessity. _He_ had watched her grow, taken care of her, made sure she knew he would always support her even though he couldn’t always be there for her.

Scratch that; she might be Emily’s, but she was _his_ in every way that counted and he would set the world on _fire_ to get her back.

Ethan sighed deeply again and stared at the USB device.

Marshal Pelgrin an arms dealer who had turned to IMF for protection in exchange of valuable information on Mason. Ethan suspected the kidnappers to be people seeking for revenge, but why target him to get the information? Fine, he could demand that kind of stuff without appearing suspect, but how would a group even know about Maria and her relation to him? IMF was throughout with their agents’ safety in their everyday life. Ethan had gone as far as subscribing Maria into a tracing program to ensure her security when he wasn’t around.

An uneasy feeling rise within; what if IMF had a mole inside? He would have to keep an eye open later…

One check on his watch and he walked out the car to head 331b Georges Street. The area was a residential one, albeit not quite rich, but secured enough, which was not what he had expected. Traffic and people were rate though, so one of the kidnappers must live there, he supposed. Ethan stopped in front of a retirement house and leaned against the wall, waiting. From his spot, he recognized three IMF agents undercover and smirked. The Secretary was going to burst a vessel again. Thirty seconds after he arrived, his cell phone rang. Maria’s number.

_That was quick,_ he thought.

He picked up and held the device to his ear.

_“Do you have the information?”_ Ethan nodded wordlessly. “ _Good_.”

The IMF agent nearly smirked. So they had a visual somewhere. He casually glanced around, trying to spot anything out of place. A car, behind a window, a tree…

_“If the information is proven to be worthwhile, your daughter shall be returned within forty eight h-“_

The voice was interrupted by a loud yell that made Ethan freeze:

_“3-3-2 same street 4 th floor apartment 4-0-1!”_

Loud moves and what he could only indentify as gunshots echoed in the background.

_“That little shit!”_ The kidnapper’s voice snapped before he hung up. _“Go after-“_

Ethan was never so glad he had brought a gun with him. He hurried to the building facing the retiring home facility, his heartbeat frenetic and worried to death. Why had Maria shouted information on her location so clearly? Was she trying to play the hero? She was bold, but never that…

“Number 332 4th floor apartment 401” he shouted at the other agents posted there. He still was the first one arrived at the front door and busted the locker before forcing his way in.

He ran up the stairs faster than he ever had, reached the fourth floor in record time and fell face to face with a bulky man wearing dark clothes and holding a knife. Upon sight, the man attacked him. Ethan sent his elbow in his opponent’s ribs, kicked his side and pushed him down the stairs. Another goon appeared behind, exiting the door of an apartment further down. Ethan didn’t hesitate and rushed there. The man pulled out a gun and shot at him. Ethan dodged somehow, fired back and didn’t miss.

He ran over the now dead man and checked inside carefully. The apartment was oddly empty when he stepped in, as if everyone had ran out hurriedly. His heart pounded heavily in his ears as worry nearly drove him crazy. He hadn’t made up the gunshots on the phone. The lack of blood was a good sign, but he hadn’t visited the whole place yet. So as quietly as he could muster, Ethan kept inspecting.

A small noise pulled all the alarm bells and he readied himself. In what appeared to be a living room, someone was cursing softly. One glance and Ethan saw a rather thin man rubbing his jaw angrily. Within seconds, the IMF agent was on him, slamming his head back on the ground violently and hissed:

“Where is she? Where’s the girl?”

The goon was either too shaken to reply, or simply couldn’t handle anything anymore, because he fainted, leaving Ethan without an answer.

“ETHAN DUCK!”

At the sound of his name, Ethan plunged in a corner of the room as a bullet brushed his side. Another gunshot was heard and suddenly nothing. Seconds later, he heard the sound of something heavy hitting the floor, closely followed by a metallic thing. The body of the shooter was slumped in the threshold. Someone vomited out of view. Ethan carefully moved to the door and peek around the corner. The door of the closet next to the main entrance was opened and Maria stood there, a hand against the wall to stabilize herself while the other covered her mouth. The man glanced at the shooter’s dead body with a shiver. He hadn’t heard him come. Had he been alone, Ethan would have been dead.

Another gagging sound brought him back to reality and he dashed to his niece. Her clothes a little torn from what he suspected was a fight with her captors and dirty with dust but overall she looked unharmed. A gun was lying at her feet, halfway covered by the former contents of her stomach. And she was shaking.

“Maria” he said carefully low, barely brushing her shoulder not to startle her too much. The teenager didn’t acknowledge his presence. “Maria, I need you to focus now.” She might still be in danger, he thought, they needed to move out. “We need to leave.”

She nodded again and followed him wordlessly; her steps a little off but her eyes determined. They didn’t cross any hostile on their way out. IMF agents were already regrouping and had called an ambulance for the injured. Ethan led her away from the danger zone and into shelter in a car. They were quickly joined by another agent, probably a rookie, Ethan supposed, who wanted to take her statement while it was still fresh. It amused him in some way, that arrogance in IMF. They were already acting as if the impromptu mission was over while it was still ongoing. But thankfully, Maria seemed to have recovered enough to speak, and he figured that the earlier they’d be done, the sooner they could return home.

“I was walking down the avenue when they caught me.” She started, and Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly; wasn’t she going to mention the part where she had called him first? Then he realized that it might have not been a good idea for his superiors to know she had access to files he kept at home. “They pulled me into an alley. I think a bystander saw them, but I’m not sure. They were five in total. Two were holding me down, the last one asked me if I was Maria Hill and another called you to make the bargain. They threatened to snap a guy from the street and kill him if I didn’t listen to them.”

The IMF agent nodded and took notes as she kept on talking. Ethan spotted her hands shaking slightly.

“They brought me here, tied me up to a chair. I told them I needed to go to the bathroom. They weren’t going to let me till I told them I was PMSing.” Both the IMF agent and Ethan stared at her blankly. She scowled at them. “It worked, okay?” And Ethan hid a smirk by lowering his face. “I took advantage to check the apartment to find out places I could hide in case. I spent the next hour or so planning to cut the ropes around my wrists. When they contacted you the second time” she glanced quickly at Ethan. “They had moved me next to the door. They were so sure their scheme had worked they didn’t pay attention to me” she snorted, her lips twisted in disgust. “Anyway, I screamed the location, gave the guy supervising me an uppercut, ran out of the room and locked them inside. Then I went straight to the front door. I left it opened but hid in the closet next to the entrance instead of getting out. Figured they wouldn’t think I’d stay in the apartment.” She smirked at the other agent’s stunned expression, and Ethan felt impressed by her quick thinking. “I hid there until I heard Ethan’s voice. And when I got out…”

Her smirk fell and she paled slightly. Ethan knew and picked up from there:

“I had a man pinned down. Another one was about to shoot me, but she shot him first.”

“I –“ she took a deep breath and looked at Ethan in the eye. “I killed him, didn’t I?”

Her voice was trembling, her eyes showing much more emotion that they ever had since he’d known her; she was terrified. Ethan ignored the scenery and held her tight in his arms. He felt her hands grab and cling to him desperately. The gesture scared him more; she never showed weakness, never showed vulnerability outside the house. He was goddamn proud to know she trusted him enough to let down her barriers. Had anything happened to her today, he would have shot those guys one by one and burned their bodies to ashes.

“Where did you get the gun?” he asked instead in attempt of distracting her.

“T’was laying on the ground when I stepped out. Must have been dropped by one of the guys on their way out.” She answered with a light shrug, but her skin was still deadly pale. Ethan rubbed her back in what he hoped would be a comforting manner.

“You did good sweetheart. You did really good.”

The fact she didn’t even call him on the pet name bothered him more. The rest of the IMF agents brought out the remaining men alive into a black van for custody. Ethan called the agent in charge and a few words later, they were declared free to go. Before leaving, the agent asked after a quick glance at Maria:

“Your daughter safe and sound?”

“Maria’s my niece.” Ethan corrected reluctantly. “Why does everyone persists calling her my daughter?”

“That’s what Agent Murphy told me…sorry ‘bout that.” the man trailed off muttering something about misinformation. But Ethan caught the strange smile on Maria’s face but didn’t think much of it until she explained.

It turned out that the misinformation from Agent Murphy was not quite misinformation. During her short captivity, Maria had overheard her captors mentioning an acolyte from IMF and had explicitly declared being Ethan’s daughter hoping the mole would be caught. A few people knew she was his niece, so the secondary rumor would clash with the first and be a giveaway. Or so she had quietly confessed to Ethan on their way home. Hunt had sent a text to a trustworthy colleague who would do an investigation on the side. He had more important matters to attend right now.

 

* * *

_Thirteen year old Maria stared at her uncle intensely._

_“Teach me how to fight” she declared, her gaze unwavering. Ethan gave her an incredulous stare._

_“Why?”_

_“I need to know how to hold my own against others” she replied determinedly. Her uncle frowned._

_“Is this because of what happened at school last week?” He had been called in by the dean because Maria and some of her classmates had gotten into a serious fist fight. A few had been hurt, but as Maria had been outnumbered, she had suffered the most injuries. Ethan had a few words with the parents that day, especially since the group had been bullying a younger child moments before his niece had intervened._

_He caught a slight hesitation from her part, then a firm nod._

_“Yeah.”_

_Ethan sighed and turned his full attention on the teenager._

_“I won’t teach you to fight” he said, and before she could protest, he conceded: “I will teach you to defend yourself, nothing more.”_

At the time, he hadn’t wondered why she had come to him directly instead of asking to take lessons. The detail had slipped from his mind, or perhaps he had assumed that since he had brought her to the firing ranch before, she had believed he could fight too. Now, he reflected as he observed Maria taking a sip of her drink, he should have noticed the signs earlier. She wanted to protect herself in case this situation arose. She didn’t want to be a burden to him.

“How long have you known?” he asked dryer than he intended.

The teenager closed her eyes and exhaled tiredly. It had been an eventful day for her, but he still couldn’t wrap his mind around how she could have find out.

“’Bout eight months or so. When you kept eluding my questions, I figured I’d find answers on my own. At first I just assumed you were a secret agent, especially since you knew how to shoot guns, but last year I decided I wanted evidence. So I checked every place in the apartment when you were gone.” she had the gall to look annoyed when she added: “Took me a week to find the safe. A quite a bit longer to figure out to bypass the security.”

Ethan nodded, his fists tightening. How could he have missed it? Maria was sneaky, smart –maybe smarter than he sometimes, caught on with things really fast. Her logical mind and awareness made her sharp. Of course she’d pick up some things. Even though he watched his words when they spoke about his job, even though he warned his colleagues when they dropped at his place for a reason or another, it hadn’t been enough. He should have known not answering would have spurred her to find answers her own way.

“I asked a friend who knew a few things about hacking to teach me” she went on. “I just wanted to know what you were hiding” she added quickly. “And after I found your files and report…I just wanted to know if you were safe. I swear I never spoke to anyone about this.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked. This time, a guilty expression passed over her face.

“I…I figured you’d be angry and wouldn’t want me here anymore. Thought you’d send me away.” The quietness of her voice nearly broke his heart. She couldn’t even meet his eyes. “I know it sounds stupid or corny but you’re the only family I have and if I didn’t want to lose -.”

Before she finished her sentence, he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

“I would have never left you behind. I am not leaving you behind, got it?” he waited until he felt her nod to add: “You’re a daughter to me and I don’t give up family. Got it?”

Her only response was the slight shake of her shoulders as she held onto him in a tight grip.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end, from Maria's 16 to 23.

**Getting To Know the Other**

**Part 3**

 

Two months after the kidnapping, Maria was back to normal. The first nights had been punctuated with nightmares and tears and for a while she couldn’t eat anything. Ethan had been eight years older when he had done his first kill and he still remembered every detail. What had worried him the most had been the silence and the void in her eyes. He had wanted to seek help, a psychiatrist or tried to make her open up again but she had declined the offer from the start and made efforts to put the event behind. It had taken patience and a few arguments but in the end, she had returned to her usual sarcastic and sharp self.

Truthfully, Ethan couldn’t tell whether she was really back to her moody-teenage phase or if she had moved on. He had taken some time off to be with her for a while but it seemed she had been too used to entertaining herself alone to know what to do when he was here. They awkwardly shared the same space as he filled his late paperwork and she wrote her latest essay or read a book. She seemed even less eager to go out, not that he’d blame her. But she did insist he spare with her more often.

They had been working out for half an hour before Maria stopped punching her bag and joined him.

“Let’s spare, please.”

Ethan dropped the weights he was working on and followed her on the mats. They were both warmed up enough to jump into the action, so he started throwing a few punches and ducked hers. To his relief, she didn’t try to hit him at all costs like she had a few weeks earlier, meaning she had managed to even out. Although Maria was still nowhere near his level, he enjoyed sparring with her. She fought instinctively and dirty and brutal and the moves she’d come up with kept him on his toes.

“Hey Ethan” she suddenly spoke up, dodging a fist. “I was thinking…We never had the Talk.”

The man threw her a kick, which she avoided again and braced for her punch.

“What talk?”

“The Talk.” She blurted, hitting his forearm as he anticipated her move. “The one every” duck a punch “responsible parent” low kick “give” missed uppercut “when kids enter” block leg “puberty.”

_The talk every parent gave their children when they enter puberty?_

When he realized the exact talk she meant, Ethan froze half a second. It seemed to be the opening Maria was waiting for to catch his shirt, throw him over her shoulder and once he was down wrap her hands around his neck in a tight headlock. The IMF agent tried to escape the hold with little success and eventually gave in. He did notice the huge triumphant grin she was wearing when he rolled on his back and realized the trick.

“That was dirty” he said, narrowing his eyes. She shrugged.

“It worked.”

“It won’t against everyone.”

“It worked on you” she pointed out. “Only once, but it still worked.” her smirk widened. “Doesn’t matter how many times you beat me, I know I got you once.”

Ethan smiled good-naturally and stood up again.

“Fine, one win out of two hundred fifty” he mocked lightly. Maria shrugged and got up in turn. They went back into position for another round of sparring when a thought occurred to him: “Do you really want me to give you the Talk?” he asked cautiously.

Maria chuckled.

“Just to see you embarrassed I would but we already had it in class, thanks very much. I will ask you if I need to castrate a guy though, if you don’t mind.”

The wide shit-eating smirk she suddenly wore was so much like his he freaked out a little. He asked with a nonchalance he didn’t quite feel:

“Why, are you planning to castrate someone?”

“There’s that guy who’s getting on my nerves…” she started, and added with a deadpan expression he kinda hated, because he never knew whether she was serious or not: “But it really does come to it, you’ll find out through the newspaper, ‘cause I am not being caught.”

 

**GtKtO**

 

“Hey Ethan?”

He glanced at her from his desk. Maria looked a little uncomfortable but determined, standing in the threshold of his office. Ethan didn’t know whether he wanted to cheer because she showed up or run _because_ she showed up.

“Yes?”

“You know I’m sixteen now.”

Nod.

“I’m entering a new phase in life.”

Uneasy nod.

“I’ll soon have needs you won’t be able to fulfill.”

Very uneasy nod _. Please don’t make it go where I think it’s going, please don’t make it go…_

“So could you teach me how to drive?”

Ethan blinked, caught off guard.

“Uh?”

Maria rolled her eyes.

“If you’re gonna be gone half of the time I’m here, I might as well pass my license and buy a car. As much as I love outside activities, I am not spending the rest of my life using a skate, a bicycle or my feet. So, teach me? Please?”

Ethan’s car was rarely used. It was old but well taken care of. A long time ago, when he was barely out of high-school, she had been his gateway and suffice to say, she had seen better days. Watching Maria in the driver’s seat brought back memories of his youth that made him smile indulgently.

“Your mom learnt to drive on that thing.” He said, watching as Maria touched and attempted to get familiar with the wheel and shifting gear. The teenager raised an eyebrow, just like every time he went through memories of Emily and she indulged him. Not that she didn’t care, but as she had explained once, she had never known her mother, so while it was nice to know she failed to see the usefulness of sentimentality.

“Did she?” Maria said, still knowing Ethan still remembered those times with a certain fondness.

“She nearly screwed the shifting gear. My father was teaching her and I thought he would blow a vessel he was so angry. I wasn’t that good either” he admitted afterwards. “I ran over the neighbor’s dog. That thing was a nasty little shit anyway.”

Maria held back a smirk. He cleared his throat, suddenly a little more self-conscious

“Anyway, what do you know about driving?” he asked.

“I’ve read all the theory side and I caught a few things when Drew drives me around.” She said the last part quickly and moved on: “I just need the practice.”

Ethan glanced at her sideways. His niece looked a little ill at ease and he pinpointed immediately why.

“Who’s Drew?”

She left out a heavy sigh, annoyed and embarrassed at the same time.

“My boyfriend.” Before he could speak a word, she glared at him and added: “You better not read him the ‘Overprotective Father Act’. He’s willing to date me in spite of my reputation of Ice Queen and I like him.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything.” He protested, but she caught the lie anyway. To avoid another awkward discussion, he went on: “Let’s just…drive.”

 

**GtKtO**

 

Ethan was returning early from the office today. He had done all his paperwork like a good agent –also out of boredom –and was planning for a nice evening when he spotted something that made him freeze. Maria was back home early too, it seemed and she was standing on the sidewalk and talking with a boy her age. Tall, blonde, not bad looking and standing way too close to Maria.

“Who is this?” he asked straight ahead without even saying hello. His niece and the teenager both jumped, a little startled, which he sadistically enjoyed. Maria frowned. The teenager squirmed slightly but didn’t shy away.

“That’s Drew.” She introduced briefly. Ethan narrowed his eyes at the name. So this was Maria’s boyfriend? ‘Andrew’ held out his hand with uncertainty, as if he wasn’t sure Ethan would shake it at all.

“Andrew Warrens, sir” the teen said. His voice was cautious and wary, but not quite worried. The older man was well aware of Maria’s warning glare, so shook his hand reluctantly. He was surprised to feel the firmness in the handshake and the way this ‘Andrew Warrens’ didn’t look overly impressed. Respectful as a kid should be to an adult perhaps, but not impressed.

“Pleased to meet you” Ethan said, but his voice was nothing but. The teen smiled a little, well-aware of his dislike. “We need to go grocery shopping Maria” he reminded her, which wasn’t quite a lie but wasn’t quite true either. Maria rolled her eyes and Drew grinned amused.

“See you at school Mar’” he told her, started leaning for a kiss but held back in front of Ethan. “Nice meeting you sir.” He added before walking away.

Uncle and niece stood face to face. Maria was not happy.

“Thank you for playing nice” she said sarcastically. “And if you want his background, I left his file on your desk.”

“You went through my laptop again?” he asked darkly. Maria shrugged.

“I’m getting as paranoid as you, dear uncle. Checking one’s background is no harm, especially since you were going to do it anyway.” She grinned. “I just saved you some time.”

“Don’t get cocky little miss, there will be consequences.” He warned, thinking he should really find a better way to secure his information.

“Whatever” she replied with a shrug. Then, she cocked her head on the side and asked none the wiser: “Can I drive to the grocery store?”

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

“You nearly crashed into a tree, ran over Miss Campbell and braked too harshly the other day.”

Maria winced.

“I told you I was sorry about the bruise. I thought the seatbelt would stop you from hitting the windshield.”

“See why I’m not letting you on the freeway?”

“Whatever.”

 

**GtKtO -2 years later**

 

Maria looked like a woman on a mission and warning bells rang in Ethan’s mind.

“We need to talk.”

Ethan stared longingly at his book and restrained a resigned sigh. He was never going to be able to finish that novel he had started months ago.

“What is it?” he asked as she took a seat across him.

“Next month, I’ll be graduating.”

Ethan nodded. He had made arrangements to secure the day to attend the ceremony. They hadn’t planned anything afterwards but he assumed they’d either go someplace or she’d spend the day with her friends or Andrew. He would never admit it, but Ethan kinda liked the guy in the end.

“I won’t go to college.” Her voice cut his thoughts and he blinked at her in surprise. Maria had applied to many colleges and received more positive answers that he had ever. Up until lately, she had appeared rather enthusiastic to start studying law.

“But I thought you wanted…” he started, and she raised her hand to shut him up.

“Last month, they had an open session on jobs we could go into. I talked with some guy in the Air Force.”

“The Air Force?” he repeated numbly. Piloting a plane was the last thing he thought she’d want to do.

“It’s not all about piloting, Ethan” Maria cut, narrowing her eyes as if she had read his thoughts. “I’m talking strategies, meeting people and traveling. I wanted to become a lawyer in case you ever got caught in some jam again.” Ethan nearly blurted she’d have to be very patient to reach all the necessary level clearance to be authorized to even speak about IMF. Even though she had known for two years, he still refused to bring up the subject with her. Instead, he decided he’d feel indignant at the insinuation he got thrown in jail on regular basis. “But I figured I’d like to bring some good in this world my own way.”

Maria had always been organized, a planner where he tended to jump into action. The way she spoke let him think this wasn’t quite a last change of mind but a carefully planned whim.

“Then why not join the police force?” he countered. “Or apply for FBI or some other governmental organization.”

She threw him ‘The Look’, the one that still managed to make him feel like an idiot.

“I want to prevent catastrophes before they happen. I want to make sure no lives are wasted in vain. If I want that to happen, I can’t just wait for orders.” A determined glint glowed in her eyes. “I want to see things from the top and _act_ from the top.”

Ethan leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees and observed her carefully. She was dead set in her idea. He wondered if she had considered all options beforehand.

“What about Andrew? Didn’t he want to be an engineer in Chicago or something?”

Maria rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“He’s a great, but not in the long run. We’re parting as friends and even if we decided to stay together, I’m not letting him get in my way.”

“So you’ve set your goals high.” He remarked slowly, but glad she had taken in account her boyfriend –or future ex-boyfriend’s position. “It’s a hard task to climb the hierarchy in the military, especially for a woman. And you’re young and have no experience.”

Maria shrugged.

“I know. But I want to try.” She hesitated and stared at her feet. “And I want to make you proud.”  

The senior agent felt a warm feeling spread in his chest.

“You don’t have to prove anything, I am proud of you.” he replied with a smile. “No matter what you decide to do.”

And when Ethan was rewarded by one of her rare smiles, he knew he had made the right choice.

 

**GtKtO -5 years later**

 

Ethan was walking through the corridors of an IMF facility when he was approached by the Secretary himself.

“Agent Hunt, may we talk for a second?”

Since he was fresh from a good night’s sleep and no assignment coming up, Ethan nodded and followed him. They stopped at his office and the senior agent started worrying he had done something wrong. He didn’t think this concerned a mission, after all, the Secretary never gave assignment himself.

“You know we keep a close eye on potential recruits for IMF agents.” Ethan nodded. “For a while, our recruiters have kept tabs on a very promising young woman. Honestly, her skills are still a little raw but with the right instructor, she will go far.”

“You want me to be her SO?”

The Secretary grimaced. Ethan felt the hitch coming.

“Actually, we haven’t approached her yet. We were hoping you could do the recruitment speech before she is snatched by another agency.”

Ethan frowned; that request was a first.

“We have agents who act as liaison for these situations.” He pointed out. While he didn’t mind the assignment, he wasn’t quite the recruiter.

“Again, this is no ordinary woman.” The Secretary replied, brushing his concerns with a wave of the hand. “She messed up a recent mission and her superiors made the mistake of letting her go.” The man pulled out a file and slid on the table in his direction. “Believe it or not, you are the only hope we have to convince her.” The senior agent took the file and froze at the name written on its front. He slowly looked up to face and sputtered:

“You can’t be serious.”

The Secretary gave him a pointed stare.

“According to the report, Cadet Hill disobeyed her superior’s direct orders, cut contact with him and singlehanded an ongoing operation going FUBAR. She managed to bring the team back to base safely, and if it hadn’t been for her supervising officer’s outburst at her disobeying orders, no-one aside from the team would have known.” He leaned forwards on his elbows, eyes narrowed. “Your niece is a brilliant strategist. I won’t repeat it twice, Agent Hunt. I want her among our ranks. Do your best to convince her.”

 

**GtKtO**

 

In highlight, Ethan should have expected she’d decline. But not for the reasons he suspected.

“You want to be a _bounty hunter_?”

The raise of his voice caught a few clients’ attention, but they returned to their business soon enough. The café was crowded enough for their conversation to attract a crowd. Sitting across him, Maria nodded firmly.

“I know enough people to give me pointers to start. I already have teammates I can partner with if needed.” The corner of her mouth twisted up. “I have a feeling this will be interesting.”

“Why?” he asked, still abashed. “I thought you wanted to climb the ladders and direct things from above.”

Maria gave him a tight smile.

“I’ve seen how the hierarchy works, Ethan. I wanted to do some good, not spend my life watching my back in fear of being backstabbed. And…” she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Remember that crossfire I survived?” He nodded; she had mentioned it a while ago, a mission gone wrong and unexpected enemies to fight. She hadn’t gone into details back then and he hadn’t asked, if only to stop the urge to pull her out of the Army and lock her in a safe. “Lots of bullets were exchanged and by the end I’ve emptied my clip, I was the only one left standing. Back in the camp, they threatened to bring me to court for treason because, hey, I’m a woman and survived a massacre nearly unscratched? I must have done something to get out alive” she added bitterly. “I was honorably discharged and had to sign a chart indicating I would never try to get hired in a governmental agency again. So FBI, police force and IMF are quite out of my league now.”

Ethan stood stunned.

“They can’t…is it even legal?”

“We’re talking about the army and the government, Ethan. Close quarters and all. The chief already didn’t like me because of the stunt I pulled when I did my job and got my teammates back safe against orders.” she replied sternly. “My superiors deemed me too impulsive and uncontrollable. The guys were supportive but in the long haul…They didn’t expect me to quit though. Like I say, bounty hunter is perfect for me. I still catch the bad guys and the State pays me to do it. Can you manage a better Fuck You?”She replied with a tired smile, and he couldn’t help but remember the first time he saw her, distrustful and hostile but compliant because she had to be. He also remembered the sixteen year old trembling after shooting a man for the first time and the determined woman he had seen enter the army five years ago.

“I’m sure you could still get into IMF” he started slowly. Since the Secretary himself had wanted to recruit her, it meant he wanted her in, right? But Maria shook her head.

“I don’t quite trust the hierarchy anymore Ethan. This could be a fresh start. I’m barely twenty-three, I still have options ahead of me. And I’d enjoy kicking butts for real.”

Maria was still young and if jumping into that life would help her tend her wounded pride, then he figured she might as well do it. He knew he would be there, should she need him.

“If you need anything…” he started, only to be interrupted by her soft laugh.

“I got your number. Don’t worry Ethan, I’m a big girl, I can handle myself.” She gently patted his hand and smiled. He also remembered that given his absences, she had grown to be resourceful and manage on her own. Ethan offered her a weak smile, suddenly feeling old. Over ten years had gone by since their first meeting, and he felt time had fled too fast.

Her cell phone lying on the table rang. Ethan just had the time to read ‘Coulson’ as sender before she picked it up and checked the text she had received.

“Sorry, I gotta go. Seems like the guy I’m meeting for the job is ahead of schedule.” She stood up and gave him a half-hug. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too.” He replied and waved away the money she was about to put on the table; he would cover it.

It wouldn’t be until years later, after Maria would show up tied to a chair in one of IMF’s cells, beaten up and bleeding that Ethan would realize she had been feeding him lies.

 

**Tea End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last line refers to an upcoming fic ‘Happy Spy Day’ as Part 4 of the series. Hope you enjoyed this and see you in another fic :)


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